For the first time in three years, the Sk8 to Elimin8 Cancer™ Frozen 5K will return to the Olympic Oval in Lake Placid, from 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 18.
Anyone can participate by making a donation or becoming a team captain and soliciting pledges for 13 laps around the Oval (or a 5K of your choice: X-C ski, walk, swim, bike, etc.).
As of Thursday, the Lake Placid Sk8 to Elimin8 Cancer™ fundraiser had crushed its first goal of $10,000, raising more than $13,800 toward the new $15,000 goal. Fifty percent of the event’s proceeds will go to Scott Hamilton CARES Foundation’s innovative cancer research and fifty percent will go to Adirondack Health’s Merrill Oncology Center Travel Fund, which assists income-eligible oncology patients from Adirondack Medical Center battling cancer with travel expenses related to their treatments.
Sk8 to Elimin8 Cancer™ began in Knoxville, Tennessee, and has expanded over the years with events across the country. The event has also become more flexible to best fit each location’s needs and strengths.
Event founder, Olympic figure skating gold medalist Scott Hamilton, attends each event, sharing his passion for cancer research.
“It’s been an extraordinary adventure building these events over the last eight years, and now we’re up to $2.25 million raised,” Hamilton said. “And I think we’re just beginning to see what this can be and how it can grow.”
As a survivor of testicular cancer and several brain tumor diagnoses, cancer is very personal to Hamilton. He advises that if you notice something happening with your body that you can’t explain, you should seek medical attention immediately.
“I’ve come to know that fear has nothing to offer you but more fear,” he said. “Once you get the facts and you know exactly where you stand, you’re able to step into a position with authority and power, and with the assurance that you’re going to do everything you possibly can with the information you have to come up with a desired result.”
Scott Hamilton’s CARES Foundation is dedicated to changing the future of cancer by funding advanced, innovative research that treats the cancer while sparing the patient. Its cancer research grants focus on immunotherapy treatment for many types of cancer and provide funding to institutions to make an impact through cancer research, cancer patient support services, and provider education.
“Being around cancer for as long as I have and seeing, feeling, and understanding what goes into this battle, it’s extremely tough,” he said. “It’s up to us to create a vehicle for people to stand in the gap and say, ‘No, we’re going to change this disease for better and for forever.’ Through research and science, we can make a huge impact on the way people are not only treated for cancer, but how they survive, so they can have a long and healthy life.”
In 2022, 1.9 million new cancer diagnoses were anticipated in the United States. Approximately 609,360 cancer deaths occur each year. That’s 1,670 deaths per day – more than one death per minute.
“Our hope with these events is to give people the power and vehicle to participate in – not only fighting back against this horrible disease – but to give them something where they can say, ‘I’m not just a victim. I’m an active participant in the fight against cancer.’”
To learn more about the Feb. 18 event in Lake Placid, or donate, visit fundraise.scottcares.org/LakePlacid.
